Roger Carson

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Oh No, not VACATION pictures!?

by Roger Carson,posted Sep 15 2010 10:21AM

The Great Northwest: Portland, Oregon. The Pacific Ocean to the west, the Columbia River Gorge to the east. Photo highlights include a 1600 Surgeon named "Henry", a 300 ft. waterfall, 500 ft. cliffs plunging to the Pacific Ocean, 12,000 ft. Mount Hood, Lighthouses, Dungeness Crab, Chinook Salmon, Honey Crisp Apples and Wine Country! (though certainly not in that order)

My wife, Kelly and I are just 10 miles beyond the Columbia River Gorge. It's a big blue sky over vineyards and fruit farms stretching out ahead of us. This climate/soil is about to give birth to the next big craze for wine lovers. We do a tasting or 2 along the way. The air is sheer freshness, spiced with the scent of deep woods pine. We spot a sign that reads, "Draper Girls Produce"....probably no relation to Mad Men's, Don Draper, but we stop anyway to purchase the tastiest peaches and Honey Crisp Apples on the planet, not to mention a jar of Marionberry jam.

Back on the road, we're sippin' icy cold pear juice, heading to snow capped Mount Hood rising above a layer of white clouds and distant forest. Foot on the throttle, jammin' full volume to the Doobie Brothers song, "Ukiah" from their album, "The Captain and Me".....if you know the words, you know how perfect it is!